Reactor study of a breakeven class levitated dipole reactor

Levitated dipole confined plasmas have recently been of interest as an alternative pathway to fusion power generation. Their turbulence-driven, centrally-peaked, pressure profiles allow for high beta plasmas with high energy confinement times whilst simultaneously giving good fuel circulation. These are all aspects that are appealing for an economic fusion reactor. Previous work by the joint Columbia-MIT Levitated Dipole Experiment group (LDX) validated the confinement physics in low density non-thermal plasmas. However, scaling such devices to achieve engineering breakeven operation can prove challenging. This is due to the large mechanical stresses and neutron fluence acting on the central levitating magnet. Recent key advancements at OpenStar Technologies, a fusion startup based in Wellington, New Zealand, on the design of the levitating magnet and its neutron shield, address these main problems and will allow for larger devices to be built. This work discusses the interactions between the levitating magnet, the neutron shield, and plasma performance and the effect of magnet heat loading and float times on the overall reactor efficiency. These elements are then combined, and a design of a minimum viable engineering Q > 1 D-T levitated dipole reactor (LDR) is presented.